Province of Canada Coins (1858–1859): The First Canadian Decimal Coins

In 1858, the Province of Canada issued five decimal coins — a 1-cent, 5-cent, 10-cent, and 20-cent piece — ending decades of chaotic currency mixing British, American, and Spanish coins. These five coins, struck in 1858 and 1859, are the foundation of all Canadian decimal coinage. Every Canadian dollar, quarter, dime, nickel, and penny that has been produced since descends, in a direct and unbroken line, from the coins that were shipped across the Atlantic from the Royal Mint in London in the final years before Confederation.

This is the story of how a bewildering monetary system was replaced, why Canada briefly had a 20-cent piece instead of a quarter, and why five modest coins struck over 165 years ago remain some of the most historically significant objects in Canadian numismatics.

1. The Currency Crisis That Made Decimal Coinage Necessary

Before 1858, trying to buy something in British North America was an exercise in mental arithmetic that bordered on the absurd. There was no single, unified currency. Instead, the colonies operated with a bewildering mix of monetary systems that had accumulated over two centuries of French, British, and American influence.

In the streets of Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City, you might encounter:

• British pounds, shillings, and pence — the official currency of the British Empire, but increasingly impractical in a colony that traded more with the United States than with Britain.
• American dollars and cents — widely circulating in the border regions, which was most of the populated territory.
• Spanish and Mexican silver dollars — the “pieces of eight” that had been the dominant trade coins of the Americas for centuries, still circulating long after the Spanish Empire’s decline.
• Local bank tokens — private copper tokens issued by banks in Lower Canada (Quebec) and Upper Canada (Ontario), each with its own design and dubious authority.
• French colonial currency — including, historically, the infamous monnaie de carte (playing card money) that had circulated in New France when the colony ran out of coins and the intendant began writing denominations on the backs of playing cards.

The problem was not just aesthetic. It was economic. Merchants had to maintain conversion tables. Prices were quoted in multiple systems. A shopkeeper in Montreal might price goods in Halifax currency (which was different from York currency, which was different from sterling). Trade was hampered by the constant friction of converting between incompatible monetary units.

The breakthrough came with the Decimal Currency Act of 1857, which formally established the dollar divided into 100 cents as the currency of the Province of Canada. The dollar was defined as equal to the American gold dollar, explicitly linking Canadian currency to the US system rather than to British sterling. It was a pragmatic acknowledgment of economic reality: Canada traded with America, not with London, and its currency should reflect that fact.

Now all that remained was to actually produce the coins.

2. The 1858 Coinage: Four Denominations, One Historic Year

The Province of Canada contracted the Royal Mint in London to produce its new decimal coinage. Canada had no mint of its own — that would not come until the Ottawa Mint opened in 1908, fifty years later. The dies were engraved in London, the coins were struck in London, and they were shipped across the Atlantic in barrels.

In 1858, four denominations were produced. Together, they constituted the complete decimal coinage of the Province of Canada.

1 Cent (1858) — The First Canadian Decimal Coin

The 1858 large cent holds a singular place in Canadian numismatic history: it is the first decimal coin ever produced for what would become Canada. At 25.4 millimetres in diameter — roughly the size of a modern American quarter — it was a substantial coin, much larger than the small cents that would replace it in 1920.

The obverse features the young portrait of Queen Victoria, facing left, with the legend “VICTORIA DEI GRATIA REGINA” (Victoria, by the Grace of God, Queen) and “CANADA”. The reverse, designed by Leonard Charles Wyon, depicts an elegant wreath of maple vines and leaves encircling the denomination “ONE CENT” and the date. This maple vine design would continue on Canadian cents for over sixty years, until 1920.

The composition was 95% copper, 4% tin, and 1% zinc — essentially bronze. With a mintage of 421,000 pieces, the 1858 cent is scarce but not impossible to find. Most surviving specimens show significant wear from decades of heavy circulation. What makes this coin truly special for collectors is not its rarity but its status: this is where Canadian decimal coinage begins.

5 Cents (1858) — The First Canadian Silver Coin

The 1858 five-cent piece was the first Canadian decimal coin struck in silver. It was a tiny coin — just 15.5 millimetres in diameter — made of sterling silver (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper). The mintage of 1,460,389 was the largest of the four denominations, reflecting the practical need for small change in everyday commerce.

The obverse carried the same young Victoria portrait. The reverse, also by Wyon, featured the maple vine wreath design adapted to the smaller format. The 5-cent denomination would continue in sterling silver until 1919, when Canada switched to a larger nickel coin — which is how Canadians came to call the 5-cent piece a “nickel.”

10 Cents (1858)

The ten-cent piece followed the same design template: young Victoria obverse, maple vine wreath reverse, sterling silver composition. The mintage of 1,216,402 was slightly lower than the five-cent. At 18.0 millimetres in diameter, it established the size standard for Canadian dimes that would persist, with minor adjustments, for well over a century.

For collectors of valuable Canadian dimes, the 1858 ten-cent piece is the starting point. It is the first of them all.

20 Cents (1858) — The Only Canadian 20-Cent Piece

The 20-cent piece is the most fascinating denomination in the set, precisely because it is the only one that did not survive. With a mintage of 730,392 pieces in sterling silver, the 1858 twenty-cent coin was the largest silver denomination issued by the Province of Canada. And it was the last. When the Dominion of Canada took over coinage in 1870, the 20-cent denomination was permanently replaced by the 25-cent piece.

The twenty-cent coin exists as a one-year-only curiosity — a denomination that was born and died with the Province of Canada. It is the crown jewel of any Province of Canada collection and a fascinating artefact of a monetary system that was still working out its details.

3. Complete Mintage Table

Denomination	Year	Mintage	Composition	Diameter	Edge
1 Cent	1858	421,000	95% Cu, 4% Sn, 1% Zn	25.4 mm	Plain
1 Cent	1859	9,579,000	95% Cu, 4% Sn, 1% Zn	25.4 mm	Plain
5 Cents	1858	1,460,389	92.5% Ag, 7.5% Cu	15.5 mm	Reeded
10 Cents	1858	1,216,402	92.5% Ag, 7.5% Cu	18.0 mm	Reeded
20 Cents	1858	730,392	92.5% Ag, 7.5% Cu	23.3 mm	Reeded

Notice the gap: no silver coins were re-issued in 1859. Only the one-cent was produced again, and in massive quantity. The 1858 production run of silver coins was deemed sufficient to meet the colony’s needs, and no further silver coinage was ordered before Confederation reshaped Canadian governance in 1867.

4. The 1859 Cent and Its Famous Varieties

In 1859, only the one-cent denomination was reissued, but the scale was dramatic: 9,579,000 pieces, more than twenty times the 1858 mintage. This massive production ensured that the new decimal currency would be available throughout the Province of Canada. The design was identical to the 1858 cent — same young Victoria obverse, same Wyon maple vine wreath reverse — but it is in the details of the date that the 1859 cent becomes truly interesting to numismatists.

Narrow 9 vs. Wide 9

The 1859 cent exists in two principal varieties, distinguished by the shape of the final digit in the date:

• Narrow 9: The more common variety. The numeral 9 is thinner and more delicately formed, with a smaller loop. The vast majority of the 9.5-million-coin mintage is the Narrow 9 type.
• Wide 9: Considerably scarcer. The numeral 9 is broader and heavier, with a larger loop. The Wide 9 variety is believed to result from a different date punch, possibly one originally intended for another denomination or a replacement punch cut from a different master. Wide 9 specimens command a significant premium over the common Narrow 9.

Double-Punched Narrow 9 over Wide 9

The rarest and most sought-after variety is the Double-Punched Narrow 9, in which a narrow 9 punch was struck over a previously applied wide 9. Under magnification, traces of the underlying wide 9 are visible beneath the narrow 9. This over-punch variety confirms that both date punches existed at the Royal Mint and were sometimes used on the same die. It is a key variety for advanced collectors and can be worth several times the price of a standard Narrow 9 specimen.

5. Why 20 Cents, Not 25?

The choice of 20 cents rather than 25 cents is one of the most frequently asked questions about Province of Canada coinage, and the answer reveals the tension between British tradition and North American practicality that defined Canada’s early monetary policy.

The Province of Canada chose 20 cents because of its relationship to the British shilling. Under the prevailing exchange rates, one British shilling was worth approximately 20 Canadian cents. By making the largest silver denomination a 20-cent piece, the Province of Canada created a coin that could function as a rough equivalent to the shilling — a denomination that British immigrants and merchants were already familiar with. It was a compromise: the dollar-and-cent system was American in structure, but the individual denominations paid homage to British convention.

The problem became apparent almost immediately. The American quarter dollar (25 cents) circulated widely in Canada. The Province of Canada’s 20-cent piece was similar enough in size to the American quarter that the two coins were easily confused in everyday transactions. A 20-cent piece could be mistakenly accepted as 25 cents, or vice versa, creating a consistent source of error and dispute at the point of sale.

When the Dominion of Canada assumed control of coinage after Confederation, the government made the pragmatic choice: the 20-cent denomination was dropped and replaced by a 25-cent piece beginning in 1870. The quarter dollar has been a cornerstone of Canadian coinage ever since. For more on the quarters that followed, see our guide to valuable Canadian quarters.

6. Leonard Charles Wyon: The Man Who Designed Canada’s First Coins

The reverse designs of all Province of Canada coins were the work of Leonard Charles Wyon (1826–1891), who served as Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint in London. Wyon came from the most important family of coin engravers in British history. His father, William Wyon, had designed the “young head” portrait of Queen Victoria that appeared on the obverse of British and colonial coins for decades. His uncle, Benjamin Wyon, was Chief Engraver of the Royal Seals.

Leonard Charles Wyon’s maple vine wreath design for the Canadian cent reverse was deceptively simple: a circular wreath of maple leaves and vines encircling the denomination and date, topped by a small crown. But its elegance lay in its naturalism. The leaves were rendered with botanical accuracy, and the flowing vine created a sense of organic movement that distinguished the Canadian coins from the more geometric wreaths used on British and other colonial issues.

The maple vine wreath design proved remarkably durable. It appeared on Canadian large cents from 1858 through 1920 — a span of over sixty years. Wyon also designed reverse dies for the coins of New Brunswick (1862–1864), Nova Scotia (1861–1864), and Newfoundland (1865 onwards), making him the single most important figure in the design of pre-Confederation and early Canadian coinage.

The obverse portrait of Queen Victoria used on Province of Canada coins was based on William Wyon’s young head design, adapted for the colonial series. Victoria appears facing left, wearing a laureate crown, with the legend proclaiming her titles. This portrait would remain on Canadian coins, with updates for the queen’s aging appearance, until her death in 1901.

7. Struck at the Royal Mint, London

Every Province of Canada coin was struck at the Royal Mint on Tower Hill in London and shipped across the Atlantic to Canada. This was standard practice for British colonies in the mid-nineteenth century. The Royal Mint was the only facility in the Empire with the capacity, expertise, and authority to produce legal tender coinage. Colonial governments sent their specifications and orders to London, and the finished coins arrived by ship weeks or months later.

The logistics were considerable. The 1858 coinage alone comprised hundreds of thousands of coins weighing several tonnes in total. The copper cents, at 25.4 millimetres each, were heavy relative to their value. The silver coins were lighter but more valuable and required security during transit. Everything was packed in barrels and kegs, loaded onto ships, and sent across the North Atlantic to the ports of Quebec and Montreal.

This arrangement persisted for all Canadian coinage until the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint opened on January 2, 1908, when Governor General Lord Grey struck the first Canadian coin produced on Canadian soil — a 50-cent piece. From that point forward, Canada gradually assumed control of its own coinage production, a process that was completed when the Ottawa Mint was transferred to the Canadian government in 1931 and renamed the Royal Canadian Mint. For the story of the Ottawa Mint’s rarest product, see our guide to the 1916-C sovereign.

8. Collecting Province of Canada Coins

The Province of Canada series is one of the most approachable sets in Canadian numismatics. There are only five coins to collect. You can hold the entire series in one hand. And yet the set contains genuine historical significance, interesting varieties, and one denomination — the 20-cent piece — that exists nowhere else in Canadian coinage.

Building the Complete Set

• 1858 1-Cent: Readily available in lower circulated grades (Good to Fine) for $30–$80 CAD. Very Fine to Extremely Fine specimens run $150–$500 CAD. Uncirculated examples are genuinely scarce and can exceed $1,000 CAD. As the first Canadian decimal coin, this is the historical anchor of the set.
• 1859 1-Cent (Narrow 9): The most affordable coin in the set, thanks to its massive mintage. Good to Fine examples can be found for $5–$20 CAD. Even uncirculated specimens are attainable for under $300 CAD.
• 1859 1-Cent (Wide 9): Considerably scarcer. Expect to pay $100–$300 CAD in circulated grades, with higher grades commanding significantly more.
• 1858 5-Cents: Sterling silver, small and easily worn. Circulated examples start around $40–$100 CAD. Higher grades are scarce.
• 1858 10-Cents: Similar pricing to the 5-cent. Circulated specimens $50–$150 CAD, with condition rarity in upper grades.
• 1858 20-Cents: The crown jewel. Circulated examples start around $100–$200 CAD, and well-preserved specimens with full detail can reach several thousand dollars. This is the coin that makes the set special.

Condition Matters

Province of Canada coins circulated for decades. The 1858 large cent, for example, was not replaced by a new design until 1876 (when the “Canada” legend replaced “Province of Canada” after Confederation), and the large cent format itself continued until 1920. Many of these coins saw sixty or more years of daily use. As a result, high-grade survivors are genuinely rare. A Province of Canada coin in Extremely Fine or better condition represents something close to a minor miracle of preservation.

For guidance on understanding coin grades and what to look for, see our comprehensive coin grading guide. For tips on where to find these coins, consult our guide on where to buy Canadian coins.

9. Die Varieties: Depth in a Small Series

What appears to be a simple five-coin series reveals surprising complexity when examined through the lens of die varieties. The Royal Mint used multiple obverse and reverse dies to produce the Province of Canada coinage, and the variations between dies — whether intentional or accidental — have been documented and catalogued by numismatists for over a century.

1858 1-Cent Varieties

The 1858 large cent alone is known in at least 13 documented die varieties. These include:

• Die cracks of various lengths and positions, from hairline fractures to major breaks
• Broken vine stems in the reverse wreath design
• Doubled leaves where the die was re-entered or shifted
• Variations in the spacing and position of the legend letters
• Differences in the size and style of the date numerals

For a coin with a mintage of only 421,000, this degree of variety suggests that the Royal Mint used a relatively large number of die pairs, each of which was pushed to its working limit.

1859 1-Cent Varieties

The 1859 cent, with its far larger mintage of 9,579,000, offers even more variety. Beyond the fundamental Narrow 9 versus Wide 9 distinction, collectors have documented:

• Double-Punched Narrow 9 over Wide 9: The key variety, showing clear evidence of two different date punches on the same die.
• Brass (or “Brass-Copper”) strikes: A small number of 1859 cents appear to have been struck in a slightly different alloy, giving them a distinctly more golden or brassy appearance. These are controversial among specialists, with debate over whether they represent a genuine alloy variation or simply planchet composition drift.
• Die cracks and breaks: Numerous die crack varieties have been catalogued across both the Narrow 9 and Wide 9 series.

These varieties transform what might seem like a simple two-date cent series into a deep and engaging collecting speciality. A collector who sets out to acquire one example of each major variety could easily spend years on the hunt.

10. The Legacy: From Five Coins to a Nation’s Currency

The five coins issued by the Province of Canada in 1858 and 1859 established every fundamental principle that Canadian decimal coinage would follow for over a century:

• The dollar-and-cent system — adopted from the United States, preferred over British pounds and shillings, and still in use today.
• Sterling silver for small denominations — the 5-cent, 10-cent, and 20-cent (later 25-cent and 50-cent) coins were struck in .925 silver, a standard maintained until 1919 (when the purity was reduced to .800) and continued in silver until 1967–1968. For the full history, see our Canadian silver coins guide.
• Copper for the cent — the large copper cent continued until 1920, followed by the small cent in various compositions through 2012.
• The maple motif — Wyon’s maple vine wreath appeared on Canadian cents for over sixty years and established the maple leaf as the defining symbol of Canadian coinage, a tradition that continues on the modern Gold and Silver Maple Leaf bullion coins.
• The Victoria obverse — the pattern of featuring the reigning monarch on the obverse of Canadian coins, which continues to this day (now with the portrait of King Charles III).

When the Dominion of Canada began issuing its own coinage in 1870, it adopted the same denominations (replacing the 20-cent with 25-cent), the same silver standard, the same copper cent, and many of the same design elements. The Province of Canada coins were not superseded so much as continued. The 1858 coinage did not end; it evolved.

For collectors, these five coins represent the beginning of the story. Every valuable Canadian penny, every scarce nickel, every silver dollar and half dollar that followed was part of a continuous tradition that started here, in 1858, with four denominations struck in London and shipped across the Atlantic to a colony that was nine years away from becoming a country.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes the 1858 Province of Canada coins special?

The 1858 Province of Canada coins are the very first decimal coins issued for what would become Canada. They replaced a chaotic system of British, American, Spanish, and local token currencies with the clean dollar-and-cent system that Canada still uses today. The 1858 large cent is historically significant as the first Canadian decimal coin ever struck, and the 1858 twenty-cent piece is the only coin of that denomination ever issued for Canada proper.

Why was the 20-cent denomination abandoned?

The 20-cent piece was chosen to approximate the value of a British shilling (about 20 cents), but it caused constant confusion with the widely circulating American quarter dollar (25 cents). The two coins were similar in size, and the 5-cent difference led to frequent errors in commerce. When the Dominion of Canada took over coinage in 1870, it made the practical decision to switch to a 25-cent piece, which has remained in continuous production ever since. Newfoundland, which remained a separate colony, continued issuing 20-cent coins until 1912.

How much is a Province of Canada coin worth today?

Values depend heavily on denomination, condition, and variety. The most affordable entry point is the 1859 cent (Narrow 9), available for as little as $5–$20 CAD in circulated grades. The 1858 cent starts around $30–$80 CAD. The 1858 silver denominations range from $40 to several hundred dollars depending on grade. The 1858 twenty-cent piece, as the crown jewel of the set, starts around $100–$200 CAD in lower grades and can reach several thousand dollars in higher condition. Uncirculated specimens of any denomination carry significant premiums.

What is the difference between Narrow 9 and Wide 9 on the 1859 cent?

The two varieties are distinguished by the shape of the final digit in the date. The Narrow 9 has a thinner, more delicately formed numeral with a smaller loop; the Wide 9 has a broader, heavier numeral with a larger loop. The Narrow 9 is the common variety, representing the vast majority of the 9.5-million mintage. The Wide 9 is considerably scarcer and commands a significant premium. There is also a rare Double-Punched variety showing a Narrow 9 struck over a Wide 9.

Were Province of Canada coins legal tender after Confederation?

Yes. When the Dominion of Canada was created in 1867, the Province of Canada’s decimal coins continued to circulate as legal tender. The new Dominion did not issue its own coinage until 1870, so the 1858–1859 coins were Canada’s only decimal currency for over a decade after Confederation. Even after 1870, the older coins remained in circulation alongside the new issues. The large copper cents, in particular, circulated well into the early 1900s before being gradually withdrawn.

Sources

• Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins — Mintage figures, die variety documentation, and valuation data for all Province of Canada denominations
• Coins and Canada — Province of Canada coin specifications, mintage tables, and variety descriptions including Narrow 9 / Wide 9 classification
• Library and Archives Canada — Historical context for the Decimal Currency Act of 1857 and pre-Confederation monetary policy
• PCGS CoinFacts — Population reports, census data, and auction price history for Province of Canada coins
• Numista — Coin specifications, composition data, and cross-referencing for Province of Canada denominations
• Heritage Auctions — Realized auction prices and lot descriptions for Province of Canada coins
• W. K. Cross, Canadian Coins: A Charlton Standard Catalogue — Die variety classification system for 1858 and 1859 large cents
• Royal Canadian Mint — Historical information on the evolution of Canadian coinage from the Province of Canada through Confederation

Guide compiled for educational purposes by Canadian Coin Heads from the sources cited above. Values are approximate and reflect market conditions at time of writing. This is not financial or investment advice.